A portion of Cathedral Street will remain closed indefinitely until the city repairs a broken storm drain that was leaking water into the Walters Art Museum . In early August, staff at the Walters noticed water was coming through the electrical panel in the basement and was concerned that the condition might cause a power outage. The city's Department of Public Works discovered the storm drain was leaking into a conduit that holds the electrical wires at the museum. "We were deeply concerned, as was the Walters," said Kurt Kocher, a spokesman for the department.

Mari Luna Bistro, located on Cathedral Street across from Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, has closed. The restaurant closed officially on Jan. 21 after three years of operation. It was operated by the Luna family, which continues to run the two Pikesville-area restaurants -- Mari Luna Mexican Grill and Mari Luna Latin Grille. The Cathedral Street restaurant was temporarily closed by the Baltimore City Health Department from Nov. 22 to Nov. 26 because of "rat infestation" and "unsanitary conditions," according to the department's website . An employee at Mari Luna Latin Grille confirmed the downtown closing but offered no explanation.

A Northwest Baltimore man was shot and killed early today by a passenger while driving on Cathedral Street, becoming the city's 175th homicide victim of 1992.The homicide count now is 22 more than at the same time last year. There were 304 slayings for all of 1991, one less than the previous year when police recorded the most homicides since 1972.Ervin Nathaniel Brown, 41, of 5200 block of Fern Park Ave., was found draped over the steering wheel of his 1987 gray Dodge Charger, which had veered off the street and into the side of a brick apartment building.

The Baltimore Book Festival in Mount Vernon this weekend will contribute to congestion and delays for commuters in the city this weekend, as multiple road and lane closures are and will be in effect through Monday, according to city transportation officials. The festival, which features hundreds of authors and book signings as well as more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers, runs from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Residents and commuters are urged to plan ahead.

Street closures and parking restrictions will go into effect today for Baltimore's 89th Flower Mart, which runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. From 3 p.m. today to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, city officials will close Charles Street from Centre Street to Read Street; Monument Street from St. Paul Street to Cathedral Street; and Madison Street from St. Paul Street to Cathedral Street. As a detour, northbound Charles Street traffic will be sent east on Centre Street, north on Calvert Street, west on Mount Royal Avenue and back onto Charles Street.

On Sunday December 27, 2009 W. Robert Higgins A memorial service will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 811 Cathedral Street at West Read Street, at 11:00 am Wednesday December 30th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Grace and St. Peter's School, 707 Park Avenue, Baltimore 21202, or the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Department of Institutional Advancement, 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore 21201.

Mulberry Street at Howard Street was to close today because of construction of the light rail system. City transportation officials expect the street to reopen in about two weeks.Traffic is being detoured north on Paca Street, east on Centre Street, south on Cathedral Street then east on Mulberry Street.

PAULINE Y. KENNON, the mother of Lisa Allender-Williams, Wardell and Henry Brawner passed on Wednesday, December 2, 2009. We are honoring her with a memorial on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 11:00 A.M. in the Chase House, 1027 Cathedral Street, where she resided for over 20 years.

As Public Works crews prepared to tackle the problem of a 10-foot-deep sinkhole in downtown Baltimore, the city announced yesterday that Cathedral Street between Monument and Centre streets - near the site of the depression - will be closed to traffic for several weeks. "The best-case scenario would be a few weeks," said Kurt L. Kocher, a spokesman for the city Department of Public Works. "It could be less than a month, or it could be a month. It just depends on the magnitude of the problem."

As many times as it rolls around, I never outgrow the FlowerMart, which opened Friday and runs through Saturday. It's held in May and timed to take advantage of the best part of Maryland's spring. Any event that draws so many families, especially babies in strollers, mothers and grandmothers, to a hallowed Baltimore neighborhood gets my vote, even if, truth be told, I am not much of crab cake fancier. Mount Vernon has long fascinated me. I was not long free of those baby carriages when I was taken along Charles Street and spied an exotic retail mix of first-floor and basement-level shops selling old maps, rare clocks, books, antiques or other items not found at Woolworth's.

A few weeks ago, I spent a few quiet minutes in Green Mount Cemetery, where its higher ground offers unexpected views of Baltimore. As I looked to the southeast, something curious caught my eye. What was going on in the nearby Oliver neighborhood? What was that thing attached to the mighty bell tower of St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church? This parish — the oldest African-American Roman Catholic congregation in the United States officially founded for people of color — has just begun to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

House hunters searching for an in-town, historic mansion in Mount Vernon, the heart of Baltimore's cultural center, need look no further than 514 Cathedral Street. The address is home to a 9,000-square-foot town house lovingly restored over the last eight years by its owner, Drew Rieger. Dating to 1847, the six-level, elegant home was once the residence of a commander of the Civil War. "It's the only house in Mount Vernon that has been restored back to its original 1840s floor plan," Rieger said.

Yet another downtown commercial building is being converted to apartments. The red-brick building at 300 Cathedral St., known as Odd Fellows Hall, is currently being refurbished by a Washington-based developer, Broadwater Capital LLC, the Downtown Partnership said in a statement Monday. The building will contain 59 market-rate apartments and will begin leasing next summer, the partnership said. It is situated between West Pleasant and West Saratoga streets. “There continues to be a significant demand for professionals to move closer to their work and 300 Cathedral's proximity to Baltimore's City Center, Mount Vernon and the Westside provides tenants a Class-A living space that is within walking distance to major businesses, the Inner Harbor, Medical Centers and local restaurants,” said Ahmad Hajj, a principal with Broadwater Capital, in the partnership's statement . Broadwater purchased the 72,000 square foot building in September for $1.1 million, according to state tax records.

A portion of Cathedral Street will remain closed indefinitely until the city repairs a broken storm drain that was leaking water into the Walters Art Museum . In early August, staff at the Walters noticed water was coming through the electrical panel in the basement and was concerned that the condition might cause a power outage. The city's Department of Public Works discovered the storm drain was leaking into a conduit that holds the electrical wires at the museum. "We were deeply concerned, as was the Walters," said Kurt Kocher, a spokesman for the department.

Road closures Drivers should avoid Charles Street, which is closed between Centre and Eager Streets, as well as Cathedral Street — closed between Eager and Madison — and Madison Street, which is closed between Park Avenue and St. Paul Street. Commuters should be aware that Baltimore Street is closed downtown from Guilford Avenue to Gay Street, and Holliday from Fayette to Water St. Public transit In Mount Vernon, the MTA has diverted routes 3, 11, 61, 64 at Charles and Centre streets, according to the MTA website.

On October 11, 2009 LOIS RUBY KERSHAW beloved wife of the late Harvey Barnsley Kershaw; dear mother of Robert Barnsley Kershaw and John Harvey Kershaw; dear grandmother of Leah Radcliffe Kershaw and Julia Talmadge Kershaw; devoted sister of Josey Virginia Anthon and Hilda Jean Lewis. A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 14, 11 a.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Please omit flowers. Contributions in her memory may be made to Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 811 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

The Baltimore Book Festival in Mount Vernon this weekend will contribute to congestion and delays for commuters in the city this weekend, as multiple road and lane closures are and will be in effect through Monday, according to city transportation officials. The festival, which features hundreds of authors and book signings as well as more than 100 exhibitors and booksellers, runs from noon to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Residents and commuters are urged to plan ahead.

On Sunday December 27, 2009 W. Robert Higgins A memorial service will be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 811 Cathedral Street at West Read Street, at 11:00 am Wednesday December 30th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Grace and St. Peter's School, 707 Park Avenue, Baltimore 21202, or the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Department of Institutional Advancement, 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore 21201.

PAULINE Y. KENNON, the mother of Lisa Allender-Williams, Wardell and Henry Brawner passed on Wednesday, December 2, 2009. We are honoring her with a memorial on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 11:00 A.M. in the Chase House, 1027 Cathedral Street, where she resided for over 20 years.